


A Spoonful of Sugar

by GenkiGirl



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/F, Flashbacks, Hurt/Comfort, PTSD, Post In Hushed Whispers, Pro-Mage, also theres cake, it's femslash friday lads, lavellan has a mental break but josie is there for her so its okay!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-27
Updated: 2020-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:01:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22929127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GenkiGirl/pseuds/GenkiGirl
Summary: Liara Lavellan is deeply upset about the injustices her people, the mages, faced, that made them feel like they had to endure awful conditions to survive - Josephine tries her damnedest to cheer her up using Antivan cakes.
Relationships: Female Inquisitor/Josephine Montilyet, Female Lavellan/Josephine Montilyet
Comments: 2
Kudos: 42





	A Spoonful of Sugar

_tap, tap, tap_

The sound of rain hitting the windowpanes slowly brought Liara from her slumber. Rubbing her weary eyes, still puffy and sore from crying, she pushed herself up on the bed to watch the storm start to roll in through the open balcony doors. 

Just yesterday, she had returned from Redcliffe; no time at all had passed for the rest of Skyhold. When she arrived bringing news of the new faction of allies, the keep was just as she had left it. She had walked through the bailey and been struck by it all - the hustle and bustle of daily life, Cassandra and Varric's bickering, Maryden's voice ringing clear from the tavern and the obnoxious yells of drunken soldiers - nothing had changed.

Yet, for Liara, she had come back from a world that was ended. She had seen the future - she had met tortured, twisted versions of her friends, had seen the torn-apart sky, had fought abominations beyond her own worst nightmares. It was real. It happened. And some part of her told her that it was all her fault. She understood more than any the pain and fear a mage faces, she'd heard plenty of cautionary tales and ominous warnings from the keeper in her clan growing up. But to see with her own eyes, the depths to which mages - people like her, _her own people_ \- were forced to, she felt sick. Fighting her way through the corrupted castle, she felt deeply the pain that only those with the gift of magic can feel; a possessive, all-encompassing desire for freedom, the fight for a right to a normal life.

At Skyhold however, nothing had changed. Life simply continued on as if nothing ever happened, and in a way, it didn't happen - but then _Liara was there_ and it was a horrifying, twisted future - but now _Liara was here_ and it was a an overcast, rather ordinary day at her newfound home. She felt these two worlds pulling her apart from within, desperate to scream about what she had seen, longing for someone to understand her. 

Dorian was there for her, on the trip back, but he had his own demons to deal with. He held her when she cried, the first night on the road back. Rocked her and told her that he understood, he knew, he was there, it happened. In their short time together, he had already proven himself an invaluable friend. However, now they were back at Skyhold, he was busy settling in, and once again, Liara felt completely alone.

Left with her thoughts for one day, she had retired to her room to complete some paperwork, but couldn't focus. Always there were red flashes, always there were screams sounding in the back of her mind. She'd laid down to cry and get some rest, and must not have been asleep for twenty minutes before this downpour started.

Standing up from the bed now, she slowly paced across her room to the balcony, shivering from the wind that was beginning to pick up. She simply stood there; observing, watching the world outside, carrying on. She felt as though the world would move on without her. She didn't even notice as the rain hit her tunic; she didn't flinch as the wind whipped up her hair. She was a woman stuck in time, stuck in a doomed future, and her friends and allies would all move on, leaving her behind.

A sharp knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts. Before she could respond, Liara heard Josephine's accented Common call out; "Inquisitor! May I come in?"

If it were anyone else, she would have turned them away. For a second she hesitated, but Josephine was a dear, trusted friend, and would surely distract her from her misery at the very least. "Of course, Josephine," Liara called back, and made to let her in.

Josephine slowly, awkwardly opened the door then, encumbered by a tray of rather appealing looking cakes decorated with colourful icing. Liara helped her in, taking the tray and setting it gently down on her desk as Josephine adjusted her skirts.

"Josie, are these-?"

"I heard about what happened. We haven't seen you all day, so I asked Dorian and - oh I was just so upset by it all!" Josephine interrupted earnestly. "I thought you may be lonely up here all day, and - well - I didn't want to intrude, in case you needed some time to yourself, but I couldn't bear the thought of you isolating yourself after hearing what happened. Oh, so I - I made these." She gingerly lifted one of the cakes, the icing sliding off a little. Liara took it.

"It's okay Josie, really. I think I needed some time to... Reflect, that's all. But what _are_ these?"

"Antivan fancies. They're very sweet, just the right thing after... well, after going through a hard time. I made them very quickly, so the icing has melted a little, but I thought you may enjoy them." She watched hopefully as Liara carefully bit into one. Although the icing had indeed melted into the cake a little, the texture was wonderful - a crusty exterior giving way to a fluffy sponge, with hints of ginger and cinnamon. The smell, the taste, Josephine's nervous expectant smile - it was all so comforting. From moments before, feeling left behind from the world, Liara suddenly felt very present. Gazing into Josephine's eager eyes as she battled the slippery icing, it all became too much for her. Overwhelmed with a series of strange emotions, she suddenly burst into a fit of giggles, sputtering cake crumbs everywhere.

Josephine's smile faded "Surely they are not _that_ bad? I used my family's recipe, followed it to the letter, and I - "

"No, Josephine. In fact, they're perfect." Liara wiped her face a little, surprised to feel the warmth of tears forming in her eyes once again. "Really, they are lovely. They're just so sweet, I couldn't help but smile." Liara tried to smile at that, and found it easier than she expected - although now she was openly crying.

"Inquisitor- Liara, you're..." Josephine gingerly raised her hand to Liara's face, and cupped it, raising her chin slightly to meet her gaze.

"I'm sorry, Josie, it was a very lovely cake, I just- I don't know, I can't-" Liara started to sob deeply, still smiling, as Josephine gently wiped her tears away with her thumb.

"It's okay. When Dorian told me, I thought it sounded awful. That's why I came up here, after all." Josephine offered a reassuring smile.

Staring up into warm hazel eyes, Liara could take it no more. She stepped forward into Josephine, embracing her, pulling her close, longing for comfort. Her whole body heaved as she cried into Josephine's shoulder, digging her nails into her back as she clung to her. Josephine said nothing; she simply held her close, stroking her hair, stroking her back. The only sounds that filled the room were Liara's strangled cries, and the whistle of the wind and rain as the storm grew closer. 

They stayed like that, for a while, entwined. For a stolen moment, they were the only thing that mattered, standing together in a growing storm. Josephine was the first to break contact, pulling away slightly. Liara tried to tug her back, but she firmly put her hand between them, tilting Liara's head up. 

"I must close the balcony doors, before the storm sets in." Her voice was gentle and kind; forgiving. Liara looked up at her with red, puffy eyes, and shook her head slightly, desperation creeping in. Josephine leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I won't leave you, I promise." 

Liara let go at that, watching as Josephine strode across the room to close the doors and stop the rain coming in. When she was done, she looked back at the elven woman - her tunic wet, fingers covered in icing, face swollen from crying - and felt only fondness. With an affectionate smile, Josephine took Liara's hand and led her to the bed, pushing her softly down to sit, and then taking a seat next to her.

She brushed her wet bangs back from her forehead, and wiped away the tears that still stained her face. Her fingers brushed Liara's lips, and the two women met each others gaze. Pausing for just a moment, Josephine leaned in and planted a sweet, slow kiss on Liara's lips, lingering for just a second. Liara stared at her, shocked, with wide amber eyes.

"Now, we have all the time in the world," Josephine smiled. "Where do you want to begin?"


End file.
